Seafood paellas should be made with a variety of fishes and shellfishes, as each adds its own flavor and texture to the dish. Moreover, always include jumbo shrimp, mussels or clams, and a firm white fish such as monkfish, halibut, or sea bass. Seafood paellas are often served with a cold, fresh, dry fino sherry; however, a zesty, dry California Sauvignon Blanc works well, too.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- 2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
HERB BLEND:
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
PAELLA:
- 1 pound monkfish or other firm white fish fillets
- 16 unpeeled jumbo shrimp (about 1 pound)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups finely chopped onion
- 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 16 littleneck clams
- 1 (7-ounce) jar sliced pimento, drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Preparation:
To prepare the broth, combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. To prepare the herb blend, combine parsley and the next 4 ingredients (parsley through 2 garlic cloves) and set aside.
To prepare paella, trim the connective tissue from the monkfish; cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel and de-vein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and shrimps; sauté for 1 minute. Remove the seafood mixture from the pan, and keep warm. Add onion and bell pepper to the pan, and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, paprika, crushed red pepper, and 3 garlic cloves; cook for 5 minutes. Add rice, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth, herb blend, and peas. Bring to a low boil, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add clams to the pan, nestling them into the rice mixture.
Cook for 5 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells. Stir in the seafood mixture, and arrange the shrimps, heads down, in the rice mixture. Arrange pimento slices spoke like on top of the rice mixture; cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Remove from heat, cover with a towel and let it stand for 10 minutes.
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